Heartbroken father searches for son swept away saving GF and friends in Texas floods: 'He needed to help'

KERR COUNTY, TEXAS: In the aftermath of one of the most devastating floods Texas has seen in years, one father’s relentless search for his missing son has become a symbol of a community pushed to its limits.

Thad Heartfield hasn’t changed clothes since July 4. That day, his 22-year-old son Aiden, along with his girlfriend Ella and their close-knit group of friends, were swept away by the sudden flash floods that ravaged Kerr County, Texas. 

“I got a call at 4 am from my son,” Heartfield told ABC News. At the time, he was at his riverside vacation home. The flooding started innocently enough, with just a few inches of water creeping into the house. But it turned deadly within minutes.

“The water immediately rose from 4 inches to 4 feet in a matter of maybe four minutes,” he said.

Aiden Heartfield’s final act of bravery

As panic set in and water levels surged, Aiden tried to make the safest possible call. “He was uncomfortable going through the rushing water, didn't think he'd make it,” Thad Heartfield recalled. But he wasn’t just thinking about himself. His girlfriend Ella and their friend Reese were losing their footing.

“He needed to help his girlfriend, Ella, and the other girl, Reese. They were losing their footing. And Aiden jumped in the water after them. They got swept away.”

That call was the last time Heartfield ever heard his son’s voice. It ended abruptly.

Since then, Heartfield has transformed his grief into action. He now leads daily search parties along the riverbanks, marking every area they’ve scoured with X’s on trees. Each mark is a painful reminder of a place checked, but no sign of Aiden.

So far, two victims have been found: one buried beneath the debris of Heartfield’s own collapsed house, and another discovered half a mile downstream. But Aiden and Ella are still missing.

“I think it's remote at this time that they're still alive,” Heartfield said, his voice remarkably calm for someone carrying so much pain. “We are proceeding as if this is a recovery and not a rescue. My desire is to just not leave Aiden and Ella to the river, if at all possible.”

Grief, resilience, and a flicker of hope after deadly Texas floods

Even as he grapples with the unthinkable, Thad Heartfield is still a dad who lights up when he talks about his son.

“I know every parent would want to brag about their kids, but he was a kind and gentle soul on this planet,” he said of Aiden. “I think his spirit is being channeled to these volunteers that have come to our aid and to the community.”

It’s not just Heartfield’s family facing loss. The flood has shaken countless households across the region. Erica Venzor is among them. She’s been waiting desperately for any update on her daughter Natalia, son-in-law Leonardo, and grandson Carlos. Their home near the Guadalupe River was completely destroyed.

“The family is going through so many emotions. We need them found,” Venzor told ABC News. Her voice broke as she described her daughter as “the kindest living soul” and little Carlos as “a sweet little boy who loved to play and smile and laugh.”

In the middle of all the devastation, one glimmer of hope emerged. Leonardo’s son from a previous marriage, Leonardo Romero Jr, miraculously survived. He was carried away by the current and floated for hours before rescuers found him. His mother, Rosa Chavez, says he’s doing well and could be out of the hospital soon.

As for Heartfield, the one thing that keeps haunting him is the silence. That final phone call with Aiden wasn’t full of emotional farewells. “You wish you would have said ‘I love you son,’” he said. “But we were in get-it-done mode, trying to get him to high ground.”

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